Trainer Gets Early Wedding Present

Four days before the big event, Victor Garcia collected a memorable wedding present.

Approved To Fly, best known previously for having her number taken down after the 1988 Del Mar Debutante, rallied under Alex Solis to win the $81,225 Linda Vista Handicap Wednesday at Santa Anita.

Owner of only a maiden victory at Caliente and an allowance win at Del Mar in 13 previous starts, the 3-year-old Flying Paster filly overhauled favored Affirmed Classic in the final yards to win going away in 1:42 1/5 for the 1 1/6 miles.

Approved To Fly’s 6-1 upset provided the 25-year-old Garcia, the son of Caliente operator Juan Garcia, with his second Oak Tree stakes victory. Last year, he saddled Wait Till Monday to win the Henry P. Russell Handicap.

Given eight months off after finishing fourth in the Bay Meadows Oaks in January, Approved To Fly cruised in her sprint comeback, then ran second to Affirmed Classic in the Torrey Pines.

A trip to Kentucky proved fruitless. She never mounted a rally and wound up sixth, 13 lengths back of Winning Colors at Turfway Park.

“The track was kind of heavy and was favoring speed horses,” said Garcia, who will wed Litta Parra Sunday in San Diego. “The horse had a little heat in the ankle when we turned her out, but it was nothing bad.

“She’s more experienced now. She was green before and used to lug in and out.”

Seeking her third consecutive victory for Ron McAnally since arriving in California, Affirmed Classic appeared to be home free a sixteenth out, but couldn’t contain the winner. With Russell Baze sitting in for Jesus Castanon, still nursing a bruised shoulder after being dumped in a workout spill Sunday, she was nearly two lengths clear of stablemate Paper Princess.

“I saved ground all the way to the quarter pole,” said Solis, the rider when Approved To Fly was disqualified for bothering Lea Lucinda in the Debutante. “At the quarter pole, she got clear and in the last sixteenth I whipped her left-handed and she took off.”

Oak Tree Notes

In his third full day in Southern California, Gary Boulanger doubled Wednesday. The 21-year-old rider from Longacres in Washington won with 25-1 shot More Golden in the second and Only The Facts in the fourth. . . . There’s a Pick Six carryover for today of $59,450. . . . Although she has only one stakes win, Approved To Fly has been second in four others. . . . Her Linda Vista victory was worth $47,475 to owners Barry and Judith Becker. . . . The Hillsborough Handicap from Bay Meadows will be simulcast locally Saturday.